Coming of Age
by thegreatfuckingnorthernrun
Summary: This is a Naomily story don't fear! However, what if Emily was friends with Hermione Granger before Hermione went to hogwarts? Follows both canons. This is for fun. If you don't like this weird idea just skip it. I don't care. otherwise enjoy. :
1. Library Buddies

**You all think I'm crazy right? Yeah... I might be. Basically, crazyconversations tumblr fanart inspired this.**

**Just pretend Harry Potter and Skins G2 took place in the same decade. Yeah I'm crazy.**

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><p>Emily started realizing there was something different about her when she was eleven years old. It wasn't anything she could pinpoint at the time, but later in her life it would all fall into place.<p>

It started with her friend Hermione. Her one friend. Emily wasn't even really sure that Katie knew she had a friend. Emily and Hermione met in the library one day during school. Emily, sick of Katie bossing her around, decided that her lunch hour would be better spent getting lost in a fictional world in the school's library.

Emily had been searching through the fiction section when she heard the unmistakable sounds of someone crying in the next row of books. Quickly, putting the book she had just picked back on the shelf, Emily walked into the next row of books, where a girl with bushy brown hair sat with her head in her hands.

"Hi." Emily had said nervously. She wasn't really sure what you did to comfort people.

The girl's head had snapped up. Emily noticed the girl had really pretty brown eyes, even if they were currently sparkling with tears.

"Hi." The girl said in a shaky voice.

"Do you want a tissue?"

Not waiting for an answer from the girl, Emily had pulled out a tissue from the plastic case in her bag and handed it to her.

"Thanks."

Emily at that point, had considered leaving the girl, but something caused her to stay. Being careful to avoid the rather large pile of books next to the girl she had sat down.

"What's your name?" Emily asked when the other girls crying had subsided.

"Hermione. And you?"

"Emily."

They had spend the rest of recess talking to each other. Emily had found out that some stupid boys had called Hermione bucktooth, which Emily thought was quite silly because Hermione's teeth had seemed very nice to her.

For the rest of the school year, Emily and Hermione would met in the library a couple times a week. They quickly found out that neither of them were particularly social, and would much rather spend the time reading in silence. The fact that they weren't reading alone was enough to lift both girls spirits. Hermione read nonfiction books about distant places, and human rights while Emily read stories of fictional lands full of dragons, elves, and magic.

A few times, Emily could have sworn that the pen that Hermione kept near her to take notes on something she found interesting or important in a book, would move from one side of the table to the other without Hermione touching it. It was a bit weird, but Emily just put it down to her getting lost in whatever fantasy book she was reading at the time, and not noticing Hermione taking notes.

When school let out for the summer, Emily and Hermione exchanged phone numbers, but they never made any plans to meet. Occasionally, though, they would text late into the night, and Emily would fall asleep smiling because she finally had a friend that wasn't Katie's friend.

Therefore, it was surprising when Hermione texted Emily the third week in August asking her to meet her at the park closest to their school.

"Hey." Emily had said when she spotted Hermione sitting on a bench by the lake.

"Hi. How are you?" Hermione had asked.

Emily noticed that Hermione seemed to be extremely excited about something.

"Good. Why did you want to meet?"

"Oh... well my Mum and Dad are sending me to a boarding school this year. I wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh." Emily felt like she had been kicked in the stomach, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She just knew she didn't want her only friend to leave.

"Yeah, and they don't allow phones so I can't text, or anything." Hermione said sounding a bit nervous.

"Oh" Emily said again.

She must have sounded hurt, because the next thing she knew Hermione had her arms around her and was squeezing the life out of her.

"I'm not writing you off Emily. I'll call you as soon as I'm home next summer" Hermione said with her arms still around Emily.

Emily could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes. She really wanted to believe Hermione, but it didn't make sense. Surely there was a way that Hermione could keep in contact? The fact that Hermione seemed to be saying that she wouldn't be contacted Emily at all must mean she was writing her off. But, then why was Hermione's arms still around her? Confused and upset, Emily body started to shake with sobs. She really hadn't meant to start crying, but this was her one friend, who was leaving, who might not want anything more to do with her.

Hermione must have realized Emily was crying because she pulled back and looked Emily in the eyes before wiping some of the tears off Emily's cheek.

"Please believe me Emily. I'll send you a letter when I write to Mum and Dad, and they can then send the letter I enclose to you. Give me your address?" Hermione asked, true concern written all over her face.

It was the concern in Hermione's voice that had made Emily believe her. Taking Hermione's phone, she opened the note function and typed in her address. After she handed Hermione her phone back, the two girls sat on the bench and talked until the sun started to set.

Finally, Hermione said she had better get going. Emily awkwardly reached out her hand to shake Hermione's, but Hermione once again put her arms around Emily and gave her a great big hug. Emily instantly felt better. Hermione smelt like Honeysuckle, and Emily took a deep breath in before breaking the hug, and saying goodbye once more.

Emily watched as Hermione walked away until she couldn't see her anymore. Then Emily sat back down on the bench, wondering why she felt so awful. She didn't really know Hermione that well at all. Surely not well enough to feel this sad. Emily sat on the bench as the world got steadily darker pondering her feelings. It was this moment that Emily realized there was something different about her, she just didn't know what it was.


	2. New Girl

**Enjoy! **

Hermione keeps her promise. Emily receives a letter about twice a month from her. For awhile Hermione rants about these two boys named Harry and Ron. Apparently they are always late to lessons, and Ron's really rude to her. Emily finds herself angry at this Ron character, and wishes she could hit him upside the head like she frequently hits James. It's surprising when she gets a letter close to November saying that Hermione is now friends with Ron and Harry, though she insists they both are still stupid boys, especially Ron. Apparently they helped her out of a dangerous situation, so Emily can't help but be a bit grateful to them. Besides, she's glad one of them has made friends, though Emily can't help but be a bit jealous.

When the next summer rolls around, Emily and Hermione hang out quite a bit. Hermione doesn't talk a lot about her school, but Emily can tell she really enjoys it. Emily doesn't tell Katie about Hermione. She's not sure why, but she thinks it's because she doesn't want Katie taking Hermione away from her. Emily notices that Hermione seems a lot more outgoing and confident now, and it just makes Emily like her more.

At the end of the summer, they again say their goodbyes. Emily doesn't leave her room for three days after. Finally Katie barges in, and drags Emily out shopping. Which is the last thing Emily wants to be doing with her time, but she knows Katie is worried about her, so she goes along with it. Katie might not be the best sister, but Emily knows she cares, and that's enough for now.

It's the third week of classes when a new girl shows up in Katie and Emily's maths class. Her name's Naomi. She has peroxide blonde hair, wears mismatched clothing, and focuses on her work in a way that makes Emily spend way to much time focusing on Naomi than her own work. Emily knows she wants to be friends with the girl, but the girl seems to be a loner by choice, and Emily's not sure how to approach her.

Emily tries not to notice how Hermione's letters are getting shorter. Emily also tries not to think what it means when she writes about Naomi a few times in the letters to Hermione. So, while it makes Emily feel like shit when Hermione suddenly stops writing she's not altogether surprised. It doesn't stop her from skipping school for an entire week.

Katie tries to get her to come out with her several times, but Emily is just not having it. She wants to wallow in her misery by herself.

"Emily is this because your dear penpal stopped writing you?" Katie asks one evening.

Emily just rolls over to face the wall, and tries to hide the fact that Katie's words have caused her to start crying. She shifts closer to the wall when she feels Katie sit down on her bed.

"I didn't mean to make you cry Em. I'm just worried yeah?" Katie lays a hand on Emily's arm, but Emily just shrugs it off.

"Fuck off Katie."

Emily feels the bed shift as Katie lays down behind her and pulls her into a hug.

"Katie sham."

Emily grips her twins arm a little tighter as her body is overcome with sobs. Katie just grips her tighter.

"I have something that will cheer you up." Katie says when Emily finally stops crying.

Emily doesn't really believe her, but follows Katie when she tugs on her arm.

When they get to the back garden, Katie lights up what looks like an oddly shaped cigarette. Emily's about to yell at Katie for picking up smoking before the smell hits her and instead she yells at her for doing drugs.

"Fucking hell Emily. Stop being pathetic. It'll make you feel better yeah?" Katie says shoving the spliff at her.

Emily looks at it for a few seconds before thinking fuck it. It can't make her feel worse than she already does. After Katie and Emily are well stoned, they lay down in the grass, and Katie produces her ipod and gives Emily a headphone. Katie then hands Emily her ipod, telling her she can pick the music, which Emily thinks is unusually considerate of Katie, but the spliff is making her head feel funny, and she can't concentrate all that well.

Emily notes that music sounds awesome on drugs, and she's already feeling better. Fuck Hermione honestly. Emily's been nothing but a good friend to her. Emily decides she'll go to school on Monday. She tells herself it's because she doesn't want to give Hermione the power to ruin her grades, and that it has nothing to do with Naomi. Without meaning to her train of thought starts thinking about Naomi's ridiculous fashion sense, and she starts giggling. Katie looks at her like she's a bit weird, before Katie starts giggling also. Emily decides she likes spliff.

Emily's still sad and angry on Monday. She wants to give Hermione the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she's just busy with school. Emily forgets all about Hermione when she walks into her maths class. Trailing behind Katie, she notices that Naomi isn't in the class yet. Which is weird because she's always there by the time her and Katie arrive. Naomi doesn't turn up the entire class, and Emily can't help but wonder why. She knows Naomi is probably just sick, but her mind still conjures up every possible situation that would cause Naomi to miss class. By the time Emily walks out of class, she's wondering why she is even wondering why Naomi is not in class. Emily makes a note to ask Hermione what she thinks it means, before she remembers that Hermione isn't writing to her anymore, and then Emily just wants to go home and crawl in bed.

Emily debates skiving off the rest of her classes. She's sure if she asked Katie to, Katie might actually be proud of her for once, and they could go do something to get Emily to forget Naomi and Hermione.

Emily decides to stay in school to see if she can spot Naomi in the hallway. Which really means she isn't doing a very good job at forgetting about her, but she can't seem to help it.

Later that night, Katie suggests that they watch the Notebook, and Emily rolls her eyes, because really they watch that at least three times a month. Emily likes the movie, but she doesn't think anyone needs to watch it that much.

"Shirtless Ryan Gosling time." Katie says right after Noah says 'it still isn't over.'

Emily makes a small agreeing sound, but she doesn't really get it. She tries to ignore how during the sex scene her eyes seem glued to Rachel McAdams. She doesn't understand what _that_ means and she's not really sure she wants to question it.

Katie laughs at Emily at the end of the movie, because Emily's always cries at the end of the Notebook. She may not love the movie as much as Katie, but it's about the saddest thing she's ever seen. Besides, Emily thinks it feels good to cry because of a movie, instead of because her best friend stopped writing, but then Emily's crying because of that, and not because of the movie, and really she just needs to get over it already.

Katie and Emily make their way up to bed, and as Emily's drifting off to sleep she wonders if Naomi will be at school tomorrow. Her last thought before she finally falls asleep is she certainly hopes so.

**This is where I insert something hinting at you all to review. :)**


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